Fatimah (centre) admiring handicraft items during her visit to TTG Sibu.
HOMELESS individuals in Sarawak will be given assistance to sort out their identification papers, says Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
The Sarawak Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister said her ministry would work with a special committee under the Home Ministry on the matter.
“The most common issue faced by administrators who shelter homeless individuals at temporary transit centres (TTG) is that most of them do not have proper identification documents,” said Fatimah during a visit to a TTG in Sibu.
“For example, one resident here was identified as a Sarawakian but had lost her identity card (IC).
“We needed time to confirm that she is indeed Sarawakian.
“It was a bit difficult to sort out the matter due to a family dispute, but that lady will soon get her identification document once everything is verified.
“Because this matter involves identification documents, we will have to work with a special committee under the Home Ministry,” said Fatimah, who is also Dalat assemblyman.
On the visit, which was held in conjunction with the state-level Women’s Day celebration, Fatimah said TTG Sibu was the first such centre established in Sarawak in 2021.
“They had taken in 180 homeless individuals to date but now only 22 are left.
“In our efforts to help the homeless, the officers learnt that there are some who hail from places outside Sibu, such as Mukah and Kanowit,” she said, adding that there were plans to establish other TTG centres in the state.
She said TTG Kuching was expected to start operations on Aug 31 and efforts were underway to find a suitable non-governmental organisation (NGO) to run the centre.
She said TTG Miri was expected to be completed by late December and TTG Bintulu next year.
Also present was her deputy, Datuk Rosey Yunus.
